Gonzaga routs SMU
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Spokane, WA (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin Pangos is back to being healthy and primed to become one of the nation's top point guards.
Pangos hit five 3-pointers and netted 17 points to go with seven assists and three steals as No. 13 Gonzaga cruised past 22nd-ranked SMU 72-56 on Monday night.
Beset by turf toe and ankle injuries a year ago, Pangos didn't take the next leap as expected in his junior season, averaging 14.4 points and 3.6 assists per game.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The senior put in 16 points in a blowout win over Sacramento State to open the campaign on Friday.
Domantas Sabonis, the son of former NBA great Arvydas Sabonis, posted 13 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Bulldogs (2-0).
"You had two high level teams slugging it out and adjusting to each other," Bulldogs coach Mark Few said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ben Moore had 11 points and eight boards to lead the Mustangs (1-1), who beat Lamar in its opener on Friday.
SMU was once again without forward Markus Kennedy, who has been ruled academically ineligible and there is currently no official word on his potential return. He averaged 12.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last year.
The Bulldogs began to pull away during the middle stages of the opening half.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sterling Brown's layup got SMU within 17-15 before Gonzaga ripped off 10 consecutive points. Pangos and Josh Perkins knocked down triples during the surge, which was capped on a Przemek Karnowski jumper for a 27-15 cushion with 7:32 to go in the first stanza.
Gonzaga led 37-27 at the break.
The Mustangs missed 17 of their first 19 shots of the second half as the Bulldogs put the game away.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kyle Dranginis nailed a left corner trey to finish of a 13-1 surge and stake the hosts to a comfortable 56-36 advantage.
Gonzaga cruised the rest of the way, leading by as many as 25 down the stretch.
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gonzaga shot 45 percent (27-of-60) from the floor, while SMU finished 31.1 percent (19-of-61) from the field ... The Bulldogs recorded 20 assists on 27 made field goals.